How to Grow Wild Yarrow

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According to legend, Olympian gods gifted war-hero Achilles with the yarrow plant to stop the bleeding of his soldiers during the bloody Trojan Wars. Wild yarrow (Achillea millefolium) is also native to California and was used medicinally by the indigenous peoples. This perennial herb grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 9. It requires little maintenance and is drought-tolerant after establishment. The species plant produces fragrant, fern-like leaves and tiny stars of flowers in dense clusters that bloom most of the summer. Cultivars offer larger flowers in a variety of colors.

1

Grow wild yarrow in direct sun. The plant thrives in most garden soils, even poor soil, as long as it has adequate drainage. It tolerates heat, humidity and drought.

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3

Prune yarrow stems in late spring before flowering. Reduce the stem height by up to one-third to remove lanky growth. Trim back again after the first blooms fade, making the cut at a lateral bud. This deadheading encourages flower growth.

4

Divide yarrow clumps every few years when the center of the plant has smaller leaves or fewer flowers. If acting in fall, cut remaining plant stems to the ground before dividing. Dig a trench around the yarrow clump sufficiently deep that you can see the plant's rhizome. Angle your shovel down and under the rhizome until you loosen it. Half or quarter it with a sharp knife before you remove it from the soil. Replant one or more pieces, depending upon how many plants you desire, acting as quickly as possible after division.

Things You Will Need

Garden clippers

Shovel

Tips

Yarrow, both wild and cultivars, attracts birds and butterflies. It can also be grown in containers on the patio.

Each yarrow plant can spread to 3 feet in each direction. If planting more than one piece of the divided rhizome, space appropriately.

Warning

Wild yarrow spreads both by self-seeding and by its rhizomes. It sometimes naturalizes into large colonies unless you cut it back regularly.

About the Author

From Alaska to California, from France's Basque Country to Mexico's Pacific Coast, Teo Spengler has dug the soil, planted seeds and helped trees, flowers and veggies thrive. World traveler, professional writer and consummate gardener, Spengler earned a BA from U.C. Santa Cruz, a law degree from Berkeley's Boalt Hall, and an MA and MFA from San Francisco State. She currently divides her life between San Francisco and southwestern France.